Israeli forces break into Qalqilya, Toulkarem, Bethlehem and Hebron, detention campaigns, demolish houses
Palestine-Israel, Military, 5/27/2002

The Israeli occupation army broke again on Sunday into the cities of Bethlehem, Qaqilya, Toulkarem and the adjoining villages under the pretext of searching for Palestinian businessmen.

Palestinian sources said the Israeli army broke by tanks, backed by helicopters the cities of Qalqilya and Bethlehem on Sunday at dawn and imposed complete curfew on them. The Israeli bulldozers demolished several houses and carried out a vast detention campaign amid intensive fire.

Eye witnesses said the Israeli forces asked the citizens of Bethlehem to evacuate the streets because the city was declared as a close military zone after the Israeli tanks and armored vehicles were deployed in it.

The witnesses said that units of these Israeli forces cordoned the house of Muhammad Shaddi, an official at the Islamic Jihad organization and asked him to surrender but he refused and members of his family got out of the besieged house.

The Israeli forces incurred again in Toulkarem and imposed a curfew on it and this resulted in killing a 55 year old Palestinian.

Meantime, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat called on the international sides to work for ending the siege imposed by the Israeli forces on the Palestinian villages and cities in order to pave the way for Palestinian elections.

Arafat said in a joint press conference with the Canadian foreign minister Bill Graham in Ramullah that the Israeli siege should be broken so as "to be able to prepare for all sorts of elections."

For his part, Graham said he will call on Israel to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinians and will urge Israel to honor international law and end the cycle of violence in the region.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli attacks against the Palestinians continue; martyrdom operation in Tel Aviv   (5/25/2002)
  Daily Telegraph: Israel works to divide the West Bank into isolated entities   (5/25/2002)
  International Red Cross: Geneva Conventions breached by Israeli transfer of Palestinians   (5/24/2002)
  Four Palestinians killed by Israel, new Israeli threats to invade Gaza   (5/24/2002)
  Human rights association cites torture practices against Marwan Barghouti   (5/23/2002)
  Seven Palestinians killed by Israel; a new Palestinian suicide: two killed 40 wounded   (5/23/2002)

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